Dem challengers dominate fundraising race

One more sign of the favorable political climate facing Democrats this cycle is the sudden reversal of Republicans’ formerly unassailable fundraising advantage in districts nationwide. And we’re not just seeing the inevitable impact of Democratic incumbency here; according to an analysis released today by CQ, of the best-funded House challengers this cycle (as measured by cash on hand), nine of the ten top spots are held by Democrats.

And who should we find near the top of the list, in position number three?

3. Darcy Burner, Democrat, Washington’s 8th ($1.2 million). Burner, who was formerly employed by Microsoft, is taking on two-term Rep. Reichert ($916,000) in a suburban Seattle district in which she came within three percentage points of unseating the congressman in 2006. Burner’s challenge is one reason why Reichert is among the most vulnerable Republican incumbents; so too is the likelihood that his district will back Barack Obama over John McCain for president. CQ Politics Race Rating: No Clear Favorite.

Burner is also one of the few challengers on the list with a substantial cash on hand advantage over the incumbent… a margin that I expect to substantially widen at the end of this month’s pre-primary reporting period. And as CQ notes, this isn’t the only advantage Burner is likely to have come November:

Some of these Democratic challengers may also benefit from added assistance from the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of House Democrats that has tens of millions of dollars more than its partisan counterpart, the National Republican Congressional Committee, to spend on television ads and other campaign communications.

The DCCC has already booked a million dollars worth of TV ads in WA-08 this fall. No word yet of an NRCC ad buy on Reichert’s behalf.

Obviously, Burner’s hard fought fundraising advantage puts her in a better position to win this November than she was heading into the 2006 election, but it also tells us a bit about the relative support of the two candidates. According to OpenSecrets.org, Burner and Reichert have raised similar amounts in-district and in-state, but the real disparity comes when looking at individual vs PAC contributions. Thus far Burner has raised 84% of her funds from individual contributors, a constituency that provides only 59% of Reichert’s funds. That’s a huge difference, and a disparity that’s likely to grow between now and November.

It’s gonna be a nail-biter, but if I were Reichert I’d be pretty damn worried.

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You mention the PAC vs. individual disparity between Reichert and Burner. However, you don’t seem so worried about that fact when it comes to Gregoire. What percentage of HER money is from special interests and out-of-state donors vs. Rossi’s?

You can ignore the giant “for sale” signs in front of the Governor’s mansion, but at least be honest enough not to be a hypocrite when it comes to your paramour Darcy.

Actually, I have no idea what percentage of Gregoire’s and Rossi’s money comes from out of state, or the split between PACs and individuals, because OpenSecrets only analyzes federal races, and I’m not sure there’s a comparable source for WA state races.

And I’m guessing you have no idea too. So if you’re going to insinuate something, try to back it up with data.

@1 Republicans keep telling us Darcy has no accomplishments. Yet these are the very people who worship money and tell us wealth is the only thing worth having and the sole measure of a person’s value to society. If Burner became wealthy as a result of her successful executive experience at Microsoft, then by their own yardstick, she is more qualified than do-nothing congressman Reichert, who was never anything more than a salaried government employee — which, to Republicans, by definition makes him a worthless loser. And the fact she’s raising more money than he is, despite high-profile Reichert fundraisers featuring Bush himself, simply reaffirms that.

I bet most of the 84% of DB’s individual contributions were outside of 8th dist, and outside of the state. Good for her for getting the cash. Good for the Netroots to help her.. But she is TOO beholden to the luny netroots fringe vs Reichert who is far more centrist than Burner.

Her resume is nothing to crow about. Certainly not compared to an accomplished public servant with a legit track record of service to the very community he represents.

So where are her accomplishments? Sole fundraising? Gimme a break. Rodent feels for Ditzy, I mean Darcy, as he most likely never made any “real” accomplishments in life himself; if he had then he wouldn’t be a delusional, angry lil Democrap. Birds of a feather.

It’s proven that most of Big Hair contributions come from the RNC and the traditional business interests who bribe republican politicians to keep their wallets fat.

As for accomplishments – well let’s see – Davie did catch the Green River killer with the help of 100 other law enforcement officers after seven years of looking and he did that seven years ago. And he got a nice hair cut and that’s about it.

I would not vote for Dave Reichert solely because he was elected Sheriff in a year when he ran against a wacko door-buster, and I certainly don’t think that “20 years on the force” and an obscure Bible college degree makes him anything better than a marginal candidate for the federal legislative branch. At least Darcy has attended law school.

Dave been in nearly four years, and is one of the least effective members of Congress. Darcy will do more in her first year than he has in four.

I’ll say about Dave Reichert more or less what the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said today as it refused to endorse ANY of the Republican candidates in the MO-09 primary race:

“The GOP candidate Dave Reichert has not demonstrated the seriousness of purpose or the grasp of issues necessary to represent adequately the district’s residents. The candidate does not display any command of policy. His campaign is based on platitudes and, in some cases, misinformation. I can’t recommend him.”

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